Cygnoid Coalition
The Cygnoid Coalition is a collection of Xenos species originating from the globular cluster known as Cygnus-22a. The cluster lies approximately five thousand lightyears from the galactic rim, and the edge of Subsector Adamantis, and the Cygnoid Coalition has a history of incursions and conflicts into Subsector Adamantis spanning over ten thousand years. Current Status The extent and size of the Cygnoid Coalition within Cygnus-22a is completely unknown. As of 352.M41 the only remaining Cygnoid voidships in Sector Deus are in orbit over Haven, and consist of one Cruiser, two Frigates, and two Carriers. History Humanity's first contact with the Cygnoids was during the Age of Strife, when a massive fleet of the Cygnoid Coalition attacked Subsector Adamantis. The Cygnoid invasion was stymied at Adamant Prime, and the world was sieged for many centuries by the Cygnoids until the Great Crusade arrived and swept the xenos away. The next encounter was in M34. The Cygnoids attacked Subsector Adamantis yet again with a fleet that eclipsed their last by a large degree. After a brief and bloody campaign the Cygnoids were once again laying siege to Adamant Prime and looked set to claim it entirely after successfully destroying the Adamantian leadership with a Pathosan-led strike force. Fortunately one General Luripedes took command of the planet's military, rallying them in their darkest hour and successfully retaking Adamant Prime's eastern continent from the Cygnoid forces. With the Cygnoids pushed from Adamant Prime, Luripedes' forces pursued them and liberated Fyphe from Cygnoid control. Eventually the Cygnoids were pushed back to their fortresses at The End and Monument, and were destroyed utterly. General Luripedes would later be declared a Saint by the Ecclesiarchy, and his preserved skeleton lies in Saint Luripedes Redoubt on Adamant Prime, visited by millions of pilgrims every year. The most recent Cygnoid incursion into Sector Deus occured in 569.M40. This time their preliminary invasion of Fyphe is predicted and the Adamant Prime military quickly rushes to the Knight World's aid. The Cygnoid ground forces are annihilated between Adamant Prime's powerful military and the entirety of House Macrae, and their space fleet scattered into surrounding space, broken. The Cygnoid remnants in Sector Deus were a matter of concern for many centuries, with at least two Cygnoid cruisers and multiple escorts confirmed to still be roaming the sector by 350.M41. Fortunately in mid 351.M41 the Rogue Tader Antonius Edgar Celentis - following a trail first set when he rescued Princess Rhona Macrae of Fyphe from feral Charonites - discovered a Cygnoid base on the unknown world later named Fortuity in Subsector Adamantis. After purging the base, the Rogue Trader discovered the locations of the Cygnoid remnants' fleet. With this intel and the assistance of the Rogue Trader, the Adamant Prime military and the Imperial Navy hunted down all the Cygnoid remnant ships - with the exception of a single cruiser group (1 cruiser, 2 frigates, 2 carriers), that was - and still is -maintaining position over the world of Haven and is thus unreachable without enormous and unrealistic investment of forces. Another cruiser group was hiding in the void of Subsector Aeternus, and during its destruction the Inquisitor Becka Xi'ang and Rogue Trader Celentis successfully captured a Pathosan on board the cruiser. The purging of Cygnoids culminated with the destruction of a Cygnoid fortress on the dead world of Monument in Subsector Adamantis, rebuilt and inhabited by Cygnoid remnants after its destruction during the Great Crusade. As the Adamant Prime military - along with a detachment of Knights from House Macrae led by High King Rory himself - laid siege to the fortress and breached the walls. Meanwhile a small Inquisitorial strike force led by Inquisitor Becka Xi'ang and accompanied by the Rogue Trader Celentis infiltrated the upper levels of the fortress and ambushed the Pathosan and its honour guard, killing them all. Xi'ang had developed a psychic weapon after interrogating the captive pathosan from the cruiser, and her team linked it to the Pathosan's psychic broadcasting 'cradle' and activated it. Broadcasting a shriek of psychic energy on the same frequency as the Pathosan's controlling impulses, it overwhelmed the cygnoid defenders and most of them dropped dead where they stood. The victory was a source of great celebration for Adamant Prime, with the strength of the Cygnoid remnants virtually extinguished. Xi'ang's device was incredibly successful in its first deployment, though future uses may not be quite as effective, possibly just stunning or staggering Cygnoids rather than outright killing them. Nevertheless, any further incursions by the Cygnoid Coalition now have a promising countermeasure. Member Species The Cygnoid Coalition is an alliance of four distinct xeno species: 'Pathosans' The leadership caste of the Cygnus xenos these creatures have only been seen in small numbers, usually individually leading cohorts of other species. Stunted and physically diminutive, the pathosans are a psychically sensitive species that project an aura of dread around their person, coupled with a deceptive field that makes the imp-like, 4-foot-tall pathosans appear more akin to some unholy realspace bloodletter. When coupled with the soul-draining aura that fills nearby souls with a sense of hopelessness they can send entire formations into disarray through fear. Their directly offensive psychic power is short-ranged. Once they approach close to their chosen victim the apparition they masquerade as alters form to become progressively more horrifying from the target's perspective. The victim will usually be frozen in terror before the Pathosan's projection begins forcing its way into the target's mind, replacing every memory and thought with images of the horror. Victims tend to scream deafeningly as their entire mind is filled with terror, and provided they do not kill themselves first the target is usually killed by a colossal stress-induced heart attack within approximately 10 seconds of the Pathosan approaching within 20 metres (the point at which their projection begins to 'home in' on a single target). Since their offensive powers only affect a single target at once, Pathosans usually remain under cover behind the other races they lead, letting their psychic projection strike fear into their enemies. But should one foe prove too resistant to conventional attack the Pathosan will move forwards behind a rank of Charonites before they part to unleash the psychic horror on the unfortunate victim. As the only species in the coalition capable of utilising psychic powers, the Pathosans are worshipped like gods in Cygnoid society, and the mere mention of them can induce blind terror in their subservient races. While intricacies like strategy may be left to Nubara Commanders, and battlefield commands may be roared by Charonite Alphas, the overarching goals of the Cygnoid Coalition are dictated by the Pathosans. 'Nubara' The only race among the Cygoid xenos with technology on par with the Imperium, the Nubara operate the warships of the Cygnoid fleets when they are encountered. An inesctoid race that stands on average 7 feet tall, the Nubara walk on four narrow legs while a further four spindly arms protrude from their chitinous thorax. The legs each end in a mass of sensitive feelers whereas the arms each end with 3 slender, precise digits that taper to a sharp point. The head is primarily taken up by two large compound eyes, capable of picking up light across a very broad spectrum, and a pair of sideways-closing mandibles make up the lower half of their head. Their language is a complex mixture of hisses and clicks but they show intellectual capacity at least on par with humans. As expected of insectoids, Nubaran society is highly centralised around Queens - oversized females with enormous gasters. Each Queen is capable of spawning broods of up to 100 juvenile Nubara in a week, though typically a single Queen will be responsible for maintaining a nest of tens of thousands of Nubara. The average age of death for a Nubara is roughly 45 Terran years, and their society highly discourages individuality, with collectivism among the non-Queen 'drones' the norm. Drones themselves have a densely tiered heirarchy, with raw experience being the sole determinant of promotion. The most highly Nubara are Commanders of vast forces, though all Nubara no matter the rank are slavishly obedient to their Queen. Whether their obedience to their Queen is stronger than their obedience to Pathosans has yet to be determined. Relatively weak due to their narrow limbs and restrictive exoskeleton, the Nubara's form is poorly suited for battle. However when they catch their foes by surprise Nubaras can be vicious, wrapping all their limbs around their target before sinking their strong mandibles into the victim (their bite is capable of crushing a human's skull). The Nubara's primary roles in the Cygnoid war machine are as vehicle, machinery and voidship operators, and high-level commanders. They are also used as snipers in battle, due to their exceptional eyesight. It is Nubara who control ships and formulate complex strategies, and captured Nubara have been the source of almost all information known about the Cygnoid Coalition. Nubara only tend to gain direct authority over front line troops at very high Commander ranks, with battlefield command the sole purview of Charonites. 'Charonites' A mammalian species, the Charonites have a heavy-set humanoid shape with thick, extended arms and shortened hind legs making them more akin to a gorilla. Small patches of dense fur cover their limbs and torso and from their protruded lower mandible a pair of tusks point upwards. Their skin is thick and leathery, capable of turning aside a monoblade, and layered upon their thick, strong skeleton is slabs of muscle that afford them prodigious upper body strength (each Charonite is equivilent in raw upper body strength to an unarmoured Astartes, though the Astartes is stronger in all other respects as well as faster). Charonites are mostly carnivorous, and have an unsettling penchant for violently torturing and butchering prisoners before consuming them. Charonites are a warlike species that revel in violence and savagery, and their internal society reflects this. Organised into packs (which are gender-segregated, presumably by order of Pathosans), Charonite males constantly fight amongst themselves for dominance of their 'war pack', that usually numbers around 20 Charonites. Female packs are generally placed in fortresses and other secure places where they produce and raise more Charonites, and war packs will occasionally be rotated to fortresses to help produce said offspring. While the average age of death for a Charonite male is around 30 Terran years, this is only due to their violent nature. Older Charonites males grow bigger, experiencing a 'second puberty' at around ~40 years. This increases the size & density of their skeletal structure and musculature, turning them into enormous beasts of incredible strength. These are known as Charonite 'Alphas', and each war pack will always be led by an Alpha. Especially old Alphas hold high positions among the Cygnoid society, as honour guards to Pathosans and chief security officers of Cygnoid voidships. These white-furred 'Alpha Primes' are incredibly skilled and ferocious close range combatants, capable of tearing through a platoon of armsmen in seconds unless shot down incredibly quickly. Charonites are a dedicated warrior race among the Cygnoid xenos, with limited mental capacity but possessing a natural talent for combat. Charonite Alphas are the primary battlefield Commanders, bellowing simple but effective orders to Charonites and Aphibulans alike. Their predatory instincts aid them greatly in short-term battle tactics, but longer-term strategy is beyond their grasp and thus is the purview of Nubara Commanders. Their own technology is highly primitive, limited to scrap armour and spears. But other species of the Cygnus xenos provide them with equipment during their attacks on Deus. Basic Charonite soldiers wear thick metal plated armour equivilent to imperial carapace, and wield rapid-fire ballistic weapons that chew through armour and bodies with a hail of high calibre rounds. Alphas are equipped with the same machine guns mounted on their left arms (loaded with high explosive shells), and wield enormous power axes in their right hand that a strong man would struggle to wield with both arms. Alpha Primes have machine guns loaded with shells that are both high explosive and tipped with rare armour piercing metal, and they swing enormous cleavers with blades made of pure energy, capable of slicing a power armoured foe in two. Alpha Primes are also equipped with a primtiive type of powered armour, which is not environmentally sealed but offers tremendous protection. Of all the subservient species of the Cygnoid Coalition, the Charonites are the ones most commonly encountered outside the Coalition structure. Feral Charonite populations are not unheard of on planets that once played host to Cygnoid invasions, and non-feral charonites have been found in the employ of independent humans throughout the Sector, presumably after said Charonites lost contact with Cygnoid Coalition forces. 'Aphibulans' An extremely alien species and the most numerous of the Cygnus coalition, the Aphibulans are amphibious in nature. Though they have a roughly humanoid shape their translucent, hairless skin has a slick rubbery texture, their fingers and toes are very long & webbed, and their facial features are very far from human. Beady jet-black eyes peer from within deep sockets, a pair of small slits in their face serve as nostrils, and their lipless mouths contain a lengthy prehensile tongue and multiple rows of blunt teeth. Technically omnivorous, aphibulans have proven to be more herbivorous when given the option, and when interrogated aphibulans have shown an average intelligence somewhat inferior to humans, along with a complete lack of compex emotions. Their statements are short and to-the-point, envisioning more complex hypothetical scenarios is beyond their grasp, and the concept of pleasantries confuses them, questioning the purpose of wasting such time on irrelevant words. Nevertheless they are far from braindead, and many a chartist has tried to take advantage of the seemingly slow-witted aphibulans only to find them driving a hard bargain for their technology. Aphibulan society is split into only two ranks. The lower rank is the most numerous member of the Cygnoid's combat troops and the lowest rank in the entire Coalition. The upper rank is only gained by acquiring a large enough number of kills in battle. Aphibulan Elites wield heavy weapons like Plasma Arc Cannons. Female aphibulans are much fewer in number than males, but not to an extreme degree. They produce offspring in clutches of 3 to 5, and the average Aphibulan lives to around 30 Terran years of age. As beings completely devoid of emotion, the Aphibulans have no concept of familial bonds. The Aphibulan's primary weapons are based around primitive plasma generation. Though much safer than the Imperial plasma gun, the aphibulan Plasma Arcer (the aphibulans standard-issue weapon) is substantially weaker. Rather than generating an unstable mass of superdense plasma and throwing it at the target via EM manipulation like an Imperial plasma gun, the plasma arc instead projects an ionized channel of gas in front of the weapon's barrel before sending a powerful current down said channel. This turns the ionized channel into plasma, the sudden expansion of which can burn through organic matter and light armour. Aphibulan personal armour technology is sorely lacking. Most aphibulan's encountered wear no armour at all, and only what seem to be 'elite' units bear a kind of flak-armour equivilent. While the aphibulans' skin is naturally tough (highly resistant to slashing weapons in particular) it is no match for imperial weaponry. Their lack of personal armour technology is explained by the aphibulan's relatively weak bone structure (a carry-over from their primarily water-borne origins), which severely prohibits how much weight their skeletons can be subjected to. Fleet The Cygnoid Alliance uses four distinct classes of voidship, constructed primarily from a strange adamantium-based alloy that carries a light blue hue. They also use standard warp travel to traverse great distances, presumably guided by Pathosans. Their strange warp drives are capable of manipulating the time dilation effect of warp travel when moving across large gravitational gradients. This is what allows the Cygnoids to traverse the unmapped, empty void between their cluster and the Milky Way without taking decades. The standard Cygnoid laser weapon battery is relatively underpowered, but has a very long range, allowing it to strike sooner and hit fleeing ships before they can escape. 'Cygnoid Battleship' Rarely sighted, only three Cygnoid Battleships have ever been seen, each time leading an incursion into Sector Deus. Rougly 8km long and with prow and dorsally mounted Heavy Lance Weapons - along with multiple banks of standard Laser Weapons on their slanted sides - these are terrifying vessels, and all three were destroyed at substantial Imperial cost. The crew size is estimated as around 100,000 Nubara and the same number again of Cygnoid warriors. 'Cygnoid Cruiser' Approximately four killometres long, with a broad, wedge-shaped hull. Cygnoid Cruisers are ponderous and have poor manoeuvrability for their size, but are heavily armoured and resilient, along with two void shields and a turret array more akin to a Grand Cruiser's. They have a powerful lance-tier laser array in the prow capable of aiming to the sides, and the sloped sides carry laser weapons batteries capable of aiming to the front or to their respective side. This gives the Cygnoid Cruiser brutal front-facing firepower, telling its purpose as a planetary assault vessel. Each Cruiser has a crew of up to 25,000 Nubara, along with tens of thousands of Charonite and Aphibulan warriors when fully loaded. 'Cygnoid Frigate' These are 2km long with a straight, cuboid shaped hull. Just like the Cygnoid Cruisers, Cygnoid Frigates are fairly slow and unwieldy for their size. They have two laser weapons batteries mounted dorsally, and are typically crewed by around five thousand Nubara, with space for another five thousand warriors. 'Cygnoid Dropship Carrier' These small (~1km long), skeletal craft are fast and manoeuvrable, with minimal weaponry and almost no armour. They instead carry ten large dropships hanging like bats from the carrier's spine, each one capable of holding up to a thousand Cygnoid warriors. Given the incredible ferocity of the Cygnoid warriors at close ranges, even a single dropship can spell doom for an Imperial escort if allowed to clamp onto their hull and begin a boarding action. As such, Cygnoid Dropship Carriers are often priority targets in any fleet battle. Armoury The Cygnoid Alliance primarily uses two types of combat vehicle: 'Cygnoid Tank' More of a hybrid vehicle than a main battle tank. About 6 metres long, the Cygnoid Tank runs on four large wheels connected to a small hull with a bulbous 360 degree turret on top. Crewed by two Nubara - one driver, one gunner - the turret contains a laser cannon with coaxial laser repeater, while the hull is equipped with a forward facing laser repeater. The Cygnoid Tank has speed and manoeuvrability comparable to an Imperial Chimera while its armour is far superior, though not quite as heavy as a Leman Russ'. 'Cygnoid Fighter' The Cygnoid's main atmospheric fighting aircraft. Crewed by a single Nubara, the Cygnoid Fighter generates lift with complex downward-facing plasma thrusters, allowing for exceptional maneouvrability. The small wings are used for housing weapons rather than creating lift. Much like the Cygnoid Tank, the Cygnoid Fighter is a hybrid vehicle. With a bank of forward facing laser repeaters, and a twin-linked laser cannon in the nose, the Cygnoid Fighter is capable of downing enemy aircraft or strafing enemy ground forces in equal measure. Weapons Cygnoid warriors and machinery utilise a wide array of weapons: Ranged Infantry Weapons *'Plasma Arcer' - Standard-issue Aphibulan weapon. Projects an ionised channel over long distances before inducing plasma along it. Devastating at close ranges but has a sharp damage drop off. *'Plasma Arc Cannon' - Aphibulan Elite weapon. Project stronger ionisation channels at a vastly increased rate. *'Charonite MG' - Standard Charonite weapon, similar to an Imperial Heavy Stubber. Charonite Alphas are equipped with HE shells, whereas Alpha Primes utilise devastating APHE shells. *'Laser Shotgun' - Short-ranged repeating burst laser used by Nubara crew in defence of their ships. *'Laser Rifle' - A light, double barrelled laser gun with a high rate of fire, used by Nubara. *'Sniper Rifle' - Laser-based long range rifle used by Nubara snipers. Deadly accurate and long ranges. *'Laser Pistol' - Last ditch weapon carried by most Nubara. *'Focus Cannon' - Heavy infantry weapon usually utilised by a pair of Aphibulans. Fires a persisting beam of plasma that can quickly impart tremendous damage to targets that do not seek cover fast enough. *'Photon Launcher' - Basic shoulder-mounted weapon that fires unstable plasma missiles. *'Pulse Grenade' - The standard-issue cygnoid grenade. This is a small, unstable charge with a casing that fragments into superheated plasma shards upon detonation, giving it much better penetration than Imperial frag grenades. Close Combat Infantry Weapons *'Charonite Bayonet' - Affixed to the end of Charonite MGs, the standard Charonite warrior is strong enough to plunge this long blade all the way through a guardsman's chest. *'Charonite Greataxe' - Carried by Charonite Alphas, this enormous power axe would require even an astartes to use both hands. *'Charonite Energy Cleaver' - Carried by Charonite Alpha Primes, this is little more than a heavy metal staff when deactivated. When activated this produces a broad plasma blade capable of scything through power armour like butter. *'Energy Sword' - A small hilt that projects a blade of energy when activated. Held by Nubara Commanders, it is excellent at penetrating armour but the small blade width limits raw damage inflicted. This blade is coveted by less scrupulous humans for its easily concealable form. Heavy Ranged Weapons *'Laser Repeater' - Widely utilised as a mounted anti-infantry and anti-air weapon, the Laser Repeater is comparable to the Imperial Multi-laser. In large scale defences - such as fortress walls - these are often mounted in batteries of four or more. *'Laser Cannon' - The favoured anti-armour weapon of the Cygnoids. It is broadly similar to the Imperial Lascannon, though has a much greater range at the expense of being mounted-only. *'Heavy Laser Cannon' - These massive weapons are only found on static Cygnoid defences and are capable of boring a hole straight through a Leman Russ. Comparable to an Imperial Turbo Laser. Voidship Weapons *'Laser Battery' - These weapons have a very long range comparable to Imperial plasma macros, though suffer from a serious lack of damage inflicted unless fired en masse. *'Heavy Lance Turret' - Mounted in the prow of Cygnoid Cruisers and Battleships, these highly focused high power weapons are comparable to Imperial Lance weapons, though carry more power than even a lance broadside. Category:Xenos